Diplomatic Practices in Early Modern East Asia

Abstract The polities of early modern East Asia (c.1400–1800) engaged in wide-ranging diplomatic exchanges with each other, forming an intricate diplomatic system. The aim of this article is to provide a novel perspective on this system by investigating the manifold diplomatic practices that the polities engaged in. Specifically, it examines the early modern East Asian diplomatic system based on five general aspects of diplomacy: representation, ritual, communication, negotiation, and information-gathering. Next to laying out the major types of diplomatic interaction between early modern East Asian polities, and several important features of their diplomats, this article shows the various ways in which these polities represented their rulers and polities, conducted diplomatic rituals, communicated with each other, negotiated agreements, and gathered information. By doing so, this article also provides a new foundation for comparing early modern East Asia with other diplomatic systems.